Principals
mull cabinet reshuffle

A CABINET reshuffle
in the unstable inclusive government is now odds-on as the political
principals prepare to shake-up their team which is struggling to deliver
economic recovery and services more than a year after it came into
office.

This came as Zanu PF ministers yesterday boycotted the Council of
Ministers called by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The move
could further widen cracks within the government endangered by protracted
political infighting. Only one Zanu PF minister, Francis Nhema, who presides
over the Environment portfolio, attended the meeting.

Evidence that
government was not working in a cohesive and coherent manner mounted
yesterday after Zanu PF ministers boycotted the Council of Ministers
meeting.

"Zanu PF ministers did not come to the Council of Ministers
today (yesterday). There was only Nhema," one minister said. "Tsvangirai
came back from the United States yesterday (Wednesday) to chair the meeting
but Zanu PF ministers stayed away."

Zanu PF ministers often claim the
meetings are just a talk shop.

Efforts to check why Zanu PF ministers did
not attend were fruitless. Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere said
he was in a meeting. A number of his colleagues were not answering their
cellphones.

The Council of Ministers, which assesses implementation of
cabinet decisions, is attended by the prime minister, who is the chair,
deputy prime ministers and ministers. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister
and Council of Ministers and a nominee of the Chief Secretary to the
President and Cabinet also attend.

The Prime Minister as chairman of
the Council of Ministers determines the times for meetings. Generally, the
Council of Ministers meets every alternative Thursday from 9am in the New
Munhumutapa boardroom.

The agenda of the meeting is prepared by the Chief
Secretary to the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers for approval by the
prime minister.

The quorum for the Council of Ministers is half of the
total membership.

Attendance at the Council of Ministers meetings which
come every fortnight is compulsory, unless a member is outside the country
on official business or has been granted permission by the prime
minister.

Official sources said President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai
were mulling over a cabinet reshuffle after their team failed to meet most
of the targets of government's 100 Day Plan launched by the prime
minister.

"I understand that the prime minister recently indicated to the
president that it might be time to reshuffle cabinet to improve its
effectiveness and government efficiency," an official source said. "So a
cabinet reshuffle might be in the cards. The president and prime minister
might want to shift their ministers around for competency and political
reasons."

However, Tsvangirai's spokesman James Maridadi said he was not
aware of that. "I have not heard about that. I will have to ask, call me
later," he said.

Tsvangirai's permanent secretary Ian Makone, who is
close to the prime minister, also said he was not aware of a potential
cabinet reshuffle coming. "I have no such information and in any case I'm
not the spokesman for the president and prime minister," he
said.

Efforts to get comment from Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba and
Secretary to Cabinet and Office of the President Misheck Sibanda were
unsuccessful.

However, official sources insisted "a cabinet reshuffle is
now a reasonable possibility" given the inclusive government's missed
targets and poor delivery record. Mugabe holds all the cards on the cabinet
reshuffle.

Tsvangirai officially launched the 100 Day Plan, approved by
cabinet, at the Harare International Conference Centre on May 13 last year.
This plan was supposed to run up until August 6 last year.

The plan
was designed to give practical effect to the Global Political Agreement,
which led to the inclusive government, and the Short Term Emergency Recovery
Programme (Sterp).

However, nothing much was achieved on the plan.
Government, which has no money to fund its activities, has also been failing
to fulfil a whole host of promises it has been making on economic revival
and service delivery.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai were said to be now anxious
to reorganise their team to sharpen its blunt delivery skills and deal with
increasing tensions within and among ministers from the three political
parties. The inclusive government is rocked by divisions between
ministers.

Last week, Public Service minister Professor Eliphas
Mukonoweshuro publicly attacked his colleague Tendai Biti. Zanu PF ministers
also have their share of internal friction. Justice minister Patrick
Chinamasa and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana, colleagues in cabinet, are
widely known to be uneasy bedfellows in government.

Cabinet is the
supreme organ of the executive whose primary function is to make and approve
government policies. It is attended by the president, who is the chair, and
attended by vice-presidents, prime minister, who is the deputy chair, deputy
prime ministers, ministers, the Attorney-General and Sibanda.

A
nominee of the Secretary to the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers
is allowed to sit in at meetings of cabinet.

The president as chairman
determines times of cabinet meetings. Usually cabinet meets every Tuesday
from 9am in the cabinet room at Munhumutapa Building.

The business of
the cabinet is defined by an agenda, prepared by the Chief Secretary to the
President and Cabinet for approval by the president in consultation with the
prime minister. The chief secretary circulates to each member a copy of the
agenda usually on Fridays preceding the cabinet meetings. The quorum for
cabinet meetings is half the total membership.

Zimbabwe April
inflation accelerates to 4.8 pct

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's annual inflation jumped to 4.8
percent in the year to April, official data showed on Friday, although food
prices showed signs of easing.

The Central Statistical Office said
year-on-year inflation quickened from 3.5 percent in March, but slowed to
0.1 percent on a monthly basis in April from 1.1 percent.

Zimbabwe,
whose inflation peaked at 500 billion percent in December 2008 according to
IMF data, has stabilised its economy under a power-sharing government set up
last year by bitter rivals President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai.

The government, which wants to maintain inflation at
single-digits, has previously said the target was under threat from rising
food prices. Friday's data, however, showed a significant decline in food
inflation.

"The month-on-month food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation
stood at 0.90 percent in April, shedding 1.61 percentage points on the March
rate of 2.51 percent," the statistics office said.

Chaos
as Zanu PF youths demand salaries

Thousands of former National
Youth Training Service recruits and Zanu PF youths, who were improperly
recruited into the public service, today thronged several banks in Harare
demanding their salaries. The youths, who are illegally employed by the
Ministry of Youth as Zanu PF ward, district or provincial youth officers,
brought business to a virtual halt at some banks and nearby shops as they
violently demanded their salaries.Some banks and nearby shops closed briefly
as they feared the youths could turn violent and loot their goods. At some
banks, such as First Banking Corporation along Nelson Mandela Avenue, police
had to be brought in to restore order. Over 30 000 Zanu PF youths were
illegally recruited by Saviour Kasukuwere in 2008 for the terror campaign
ahead of the June 2008 presidential run-off after Zanu PF had been defeated
by the earlier round of the harmonised plebiscite.The State sponsored
violence of 2008 led to the deaths of over 500 youths while thousands
sustained serious injuries and others had their property and livestock
looted. At present, the youths are known for being notorious in fanning
violence especially in the rural areas against those who are perceived to be
MDC supporters. The infamous youth training camps were abolished last year
following the formation of the inclusive government.The Parliamentary
Committee on Public Accounts in January gave a directive to the Public
Service Commission, the ministries of Youth and Public Service to correct
the anomalies regarding the illegal employment of the Zanu PF youth
officers.

MDC-T
to convene crisis meeting over the weekend

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T party is expected to
convene a crisis meeting of its National Council over the weekend, to
deliberate on the continued persecution of Treasurer General Roy Bennett,
amongst other issues. On Monday the High Court acquitted Bennett of the
cooked-up terrorism charges filed against him. The Attorney General
initially said he would not appeal the acquittal in the Supreme Court but
after some discussion with various ZANU PF big-wigs, he changed his
mind.

It's also reported that ZANU PF ministers boycotted a Council of
Ministers meeting that was to be chaired by Tsvangirai on the Wednesday.
Only Environment Minister Francis Nhema bothered to show up from ZANU PF.
This boycott, and the persecution of Bennett, have predictably raised even
more tensions in the coalition government.

The National Council is
the supreme decision making body of the MDC-T, outside it's congress, and is
expected to decide how to respond to the continuing unwillingness of ZANU PF
to genuinely share power. In the past Mugabe has refused to swear-in Bennett
as the Deputy Agriculture Minister, citing the court case against him. It
was expected his acquittal would pave the way for the swearing in and remove
one of the sticking issues in the implementation of the power sharing
deal.

ZANU PF's 'joker in the pack' Jonathan Moyo revealed what angle
ZANU PF was using to justify its ongoing persecution of Bennett. He told the
state owned Herald newspaper that "the quandary has never been a legal one
but rather a political one. For the record, Roy Bennett must not be part of
any government in a free Zimbabwe because he represents the unacceptable
face of the murderous Rhodesian infantry whose bloodletting during the
liberation struggle knew no bounds."

Moyo conveniently ignored the
real reason for the persecution, which is to ensure that Bennett never gets
anywhere near the records that would reveal the true extent of the
corruption surrounding the so-called land reform issue.

This week
South African President Jacob Zuma assured his country's Parliament that the
acquittal of Bennett marked a step forward for the coalition. This was of
course before he heard that ZANU PF were going to appeal.

Analysts
say the MDC-T should feel emboldened by the comments coming from the chief
mediator in the crisis and demand that Mugabe honour his word and swear
Bennett into office. Being bold however has not been a hallmark of the MDC-T
strategy of late and Mugabe has never bent to any demands.

"Most of the
MDC-T ministers are living a life of comfort and moving around in flashy
Mercedes and Nissan Navara cars. They cannot contemplate life outside this
coalition," one analyst commented. This he said explained their reluctance
to 'rock the boat.'

Unfortunately for the ordinary suffering Zimbabwean,
Mugabe will continue to ride rough-shod over the power sharing deal he
signed in September 2008.

South Africa based political analyst,
Psychology Maziwisa, told Newsreel that even if MDC-T ministers had become
'comfortable' in government it was now up to Tsvangirai as the party leader
to show some leadership. He said it was clear from the Bennett issue that
ZANU PF is acting in bad faith and is 'playing games with the MDC and
showing them who is in charge.' Maziwisa said the weekend MDC-T meeting
should come up with a much tougher tone and clearly spell out the
consequences of ZANU PF's actions.

Bennett
acquittal & appeal to dominate principals’ meeting on Monday

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai wants
Robert Mugabe to swear-in Roy Bennett to his deputy ministerial portfolio,
as per his promise, that he would do so if the non constituency MDC Senator
was acquitted of terrorism charges.

Mugabe has in the last year refused
to swear-in Bennett, citing the terrorism charges, while saying he will
appoint him to his post once the courts clear him of the
charges.

High Court Judge Chinembiri Bhunu acquitted Bennett on Monday of
all charges of terrorism, banditry, insurgency and trying to overthrow
Mugabe’s government in 2006. The acquittal should have paved the way for
Mugabe to swear him as deputy Agriculture Minister, until the Attorney
General decided to appeal Judge Bhunu’s ruling.

A highly placed
source in the MDC told us that despite the appeal Tsvangirai was set to meet
Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara on Monday next week, at
which the issue of Bennett was likely to dominate their
discussions.

‘Despite the Attorney General appealing against
Bennett’s acquittal Prime Minister Tsvangirai has made it clear he will
raise the issue with the other two principals on Monday, the only platform
where issues concerning the GPA are discussed,’ our source
added.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara reportedly met on Friday for the
monthly National Security Council meeting with the armed forces chiefs. GPA
issues are not tackled at this forum, although almost all those against
Bennett taking up his post were present.

These are the commanders of
the Army, Airforce, Police, Prisons, CIO and Defence Minister Emmerson
Mnangagwa, the first senior ZANU PF official to suggest Bennett’s acquittal
was ‘appealable.’South African President Jacob Zuma, the SADC mediator to
the ‘talks’, on Wednesday said the acquittal of Bennett was significant as
it removed one of the obstacles to the full implementation of the GPA. This
was before he knew that in fact ZANU PF were not going to let the issue drop
and were still determined to ensure that Bennett never has anything to do
with agriculture.The South African facilitation team has no said it will
engage ZANU PF over its decision to appeal against the acquittal though its
spokesperson, Lindiwe Zulu, stressed they respected the right of the state
to appeal, which she said was their constitutional right.

‘But the
acquittal would have indeed moved the process of resolving outstanding
issues forward. We are however still hopeful on the resolution of this issue
and we will be engaging the government, particularly the ZANU PF side of it,
on the Bennett issue,’ Zulu said on Thursday.The principals’ meeting on
Monday is going to be first in almost a month after earlier negotiations
were ‘concluded’ by the party’s respective teams. The principals have failed
to meet since the 3rd April, allegedly due to other commitments, although
most observers agree these are just stalling mechanisms. This has crucially
delayed the implementation of some of the remaining issues in the
GPA.The facilitation team, which includes Zulu and former cabinet ministers
Charles Nqakula and Mac Maharaj, was waiting for Mugabe, Tsvangirai and
Mutambara to first meet and deliberate on the negotiators' report, before
the South Africans can resume their mediation process.

The team’s
next mediation effort to Harare is dependent on the principals’
recommendations to Zuma on the way forward, regarding the contentious
issues. So far the government has put in place the Human Rights, Media and
Electoral Commissions, that are supposed to help the country move forward.
Unfortunately there has been criticism of these commissions, in particular
the Media Commission, where very little seems to have changed.

The
principals were still to consult about the appointment of the Zimbabwe
Anti-Corruption Commission. The parties have also agreed on the
establishment of the National Economic Council, but this decision awaits
implementation.

There has been an agreement in principle on the
appointment of provincial governors; with Zuma explaining on Wednesday that
the parties had agreed on the model and formula of how the provincial
governors would be appointed.

‘It was agreed that the MDC-T and ZANU PF
would share nine governorships, while the tenth would go to the MDC
break-away group. Whoever got four governors between the MDC and ZANU PF
would be given an additional minister of state,’ Zuma said.

And so
the GPA inches forward at a snails pace, while Zimbabweans continue to
suffer.

Bennett’s
lawyer files police report over stolen passport

The defence team representing acquitted MDC official Roy Bennett,
spent the day on Friday looking for his passport in Mutare and filing theft
charges against the Attorney General’s office in Harare.Bennett, who was
cleared of terrorism charges by the High Court on Monday, travelled to
Mutare on Wednesday to collect his passport, which he had surrendered as
part of his bail conditions.But upon arrival he was told by the Clerk of
Court in Mutare that his passport was taken almost two months ago by Michael
Mugabe – the area public prosecutor for Manicaland.

Bennett’s lawyer
Beatrice Mtetwa said this was done without the court’s authority and that
the Attorney General’s office basically ‘stole’ her client’s passport, as
part of the ongoing victimisation against him.The defence team returned to
Mutare on Friday hoping that the passport had been returned, but were
informed by the Clerk of Court that it had not.

They then approached the
public prosecutor in Mutare to find out why he had taken the passport. “Mr
Mugabe indicated that he merely uplifted the passport on instructions from
Chris Mutangadura of the Attorney General’s Office and that the passport was
surrendered to Mr Mutangadura and he believes that Mr Mutangadura still
holds it,” Mtetwa said.

She added: “The view we are taking on the matter
is that Mr Mutangadura, who actually appeared in the bail hearing where the
Chief Justice ordered the surrender of the passport, removed it without the
court’s order being altered, clearly constituting contempt of court. And he
literally has stolen the passport from the Clerk of Court.”

Mtetwa
then went to file a report to the police in Harare and said the police, with
much reluctance, accepted her formal complaint. She was told to go and write
a formal statement, which she did, and she sent this signed official
statement and a copy of a court order back to the police by messenger. But
the police officers refused to take the statement, saying they wanted to see
the lawyer in person.

Mtetwa said that this was completely unnecessary:
“We all know that nothing will happen, but it is a report that I have made
formally…I am making the report to show that an offence has been
committed.”Meanwhile on Wednesday the prosecution team had filed an
application for ‘leave to appeal’ Roy Bennett’s acquittal. The defence filed
opposing papers on Thursday. They are now waiting for the Supreme Court to
give a date as to when the matter might be heard. There is concern that it
could take months.

The Bennett issue is threatening to tear the coalition
government apart as ZANU PF continues to refuse to swear him into the new
government. It had been hoped that Robert Mugabe would finally swear in the
MDC Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, since he has now been cleared
by the courts, but it appears ZANU PF officials are pushing the Attorney
General’s office to keep him tied up in the courts.

How
Mugabe gatecrashed economic forum

DEPUTY
Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara last week managed to manoeuvre President
Robert Mugabe, blamed for ruining Zimbabwe's thriving economy, to gatecrash
the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dar es Salaam despite initial resistance
by the organisers.

Mugabe was in the Tanzanian capital to attend a
meeting of former southern African liberation movements hosted by the East
African country's Chama ChaMapinduzi.

Other parties which attended
the meeting included the African National Congress of South Africa, Frelimo
of Mozambique, Swapo of Namibia and Zanu PF.

The parties were
represented by their leaders and secretaries-general or
equivalent.

Mugabe was not scheduled to speak at the WEF, but
Mutambara lobbied for him to feature through the backdoor. WEF sources said
this week that Mutambara, a member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders led
by David Aikman, used his connections through WEF founder and executive
chairman Professor Klaus Schwab to arrange for Mugabe's surprise
address.

"Mugabe was not scheduled to address the WEF at all," a senior
WEF official said. "He was there to attend the meeting of former liberation
movements. Mutambara lobbied WEF officials, especially Professor Schwab, for
Mugabe to be allowed to speak.

"Initially, they were reluctant
because they didn't know what he was going to say and the impact thereafter
but they decided to take the risk and allowed him to be part in the
proceedings."

Mutambara this week refused to discuss the issue, only
saying "what is important is that we had an interesting session on Zimbabwe
at the WEF and the president was part of it".

He refused to discuss
how Mugabe, widely criticised for destroying Zimbabwe's economy through
extended periods of misrule and economic mismanagement, came to be part of
it.

"We had a session at the WEF as the political principals. It was the
first time for us to share a public platform outside the country and it
proved to be the most interesting discussion of the meeting," Mutambara
said.

The session, under the topic "The Future of Zimbabwe", featured
Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Mutambara.

There was
also Schwab, hotel chain African Sun chief executive Shingi Munyeza, local
computer science expert Bongani Ncube, South African Old Mutual chief
executive Kuseni Dlamini, Julie Gichuru, Group Digital manager and TV host
at Royal Media Services in Kenya, and Runa Alam, chief executive of
Development Partners International in the United Kingdom.The panellists
dealt with Zimbabwe's future under the inclusive government and how
businesses and investors were adjusting their operational strategies in view
of recent political and economic developments.

Key points at the session
included political reconciliation, sanctions, indigenisation and how to
attract investment.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara said they were
working together to turn around the country's economy, which shrank by about
50% in the past decade. While the three have differences of opinion on
detail, there is a willingness to move forward, the leaders
claimed.

On travel bans, they agreed the measures created the impression
among potential investors that the country is dysfunctional and an
international renegade. They called for the lifting of
sanctions.

Regarding indigenisation, they said discussions were underway
for broad-based empowerment of locals on a sector-by-sector threshold basis
to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.

They said the economy has
relatively stabilised due to a multi-currency regime and macro-economic
reforms.- Staff Writer.

Mat
North police turn to public to finance operations

MATABELELAND North police have turned to the public to
finance their operations - a desperate move to fill a large hole in
government spending on public services.

Police chiefs in the region
have engaged business executives and community leaders for help with money,
vehicles and fuel to aid their fight against crime.

Matabeleland
North Police chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai said law
enforcement in the region had been powerless in the fight against rising
stock theft and vandalism of railway, communications as well as power
generation facilities.

Now, with the community support, Veterai says
he will put his 250-member strong force on the tails of criminals across the
region which covers areas like Hwange, Victoria Falls, Lupane and
Tsholotsho.

"All the criminals who thought we do not have legs, let them
be warned that we now have wings," Veterai told journalists on
Thursday.

"The business community pledged their support. They will assist
with fuel and motor vehicles when called on. We are also trying to establish
a utility fund which will assist in tracking down criminals."

Police
forces countrywide have been complaining of lack of funding from central
government - a crisis dramatised recently when former MP Renson Gasela was
trapped in a car at an accident scene for 10 hours before his body could be
removed.

National police spokesman Senior Assistant Commissioner Waybe
Bvudzijena said: "We do not have adequate resources. We need more resources
in terms of transport, office equipment and other forensic equipment that we
need to discharge our duties.

"The inclusive government should
provide sufficient resources to ensure that we discharge our duties
properly."

Police forces countrywide would be watching the Matabeleland
North experiment with interest.

Veterai said civilian cars were
already being used to transport criminals from prison to court as the
Zimbabwe Prison Service had no vehicles.

But the police chief's immediate
concern is to stop theft from key public installations.

"We are
concerned as an institution with the theft of copper cables, ZESA cables and
National Railways of Zimbabwe cables and equipment. We want the public to be
conscious of the downstream effects. Repairs are done at a very huge cost
while the social cost is also very severe," he said.

Zimbabwe's year-old
unity government says it has failed to attract budgetary support from
sceptical western donors after a decade-long economic recession and
political stand-off between long-time ruler President Robert Mugabe and
opposition rival Morgan Tsvangirai, now Prime Minister.

South
Africa, Zimbabwe agree faster border processing

Harare, Zimbabwe -
South Africa and Zimbabwe have agreed to create a one-stop border
immigration and customs facility to ensure faster clearance of travel lers
and cargo at their common border during the World Cup, officials said
Friday.

Under the arrangement, immigration and customs from both
countries would be working at one point jointly clearing travellers and
cargo bound for either direction.

Zambia and Zimbabwe were the first
countries in the region to introduce a one-stop border facility at their
common Chirundu border last year, to ease congestion.

The concept is
part of efforts by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to
integrate the economies of the sub-region, and ensure free flow of goods and
services.

But officials said the South Africa-Zimbabwe one-stop border
arrangement at Beit bridge would only cover the World Cup, which the two
countries expect to bring in creased transnational tourist
traffic.

''We have put in place measures to ease congestion and speed the
flow of traffic between the two countries,'' Anyone Motebele, a South
African immigration official, said.

He said the two countries were
negotiating to make the arrangement permanent at Africa's busiest
border.

Zanu exploits
latest MDC rift

Zimbabwe President
Robert Mugabe, with his own factional problems bottled, is hoping that the
sharp differences between the two most powerful men in the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change will escalate into a full-scale battle he can
exploit.

Public differences over policy between MDC leader and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Tendai Biti, the MDC secretary general and
finance minister, have cheered Zanu-PF, which itself has seen years of
factional battles.

Rivalries have long existed between Tsvangirai and
Biti, who represents the more radical wing of the MDC, which was previously
opposed to any compromise with Mugabe.

Tsvangirai has been
embarrassed recently by violence between rival youth groups at his party
headquarters and has allowed his differences with Biti on economic policy to
spill over into the public arena. Now observers are watching to see how
quickly he can prevent the row from spreading to other parts of the
party.

The violence followed differences over Biti's announcement that
the government would impose a cap on public service salaries, which made up
70% of state spending.

Tsvangirai publicly rebuked Biti in a May Day
speech in which he told a rally of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions,
which is allied to the MDC, that this had not been approved by the
Cabinet.

Days later Elphas Mukonoweshuro, the public service minister and
a long-time Tsvangirai ally, called a press conference at which he strongly
criticised Biti and said that Biti believed he was a "super minister" who
could grab the duties of other ministers. The state-owned Herald daily
published Mukonoweshuro's criticism in full.

Since the fallout the
MDC has been trying to play down the differences, even suggesting a Zanu-PF
hand in it. Tsvangirai said he and Biti were old "comrades in the struggle"
and that he "would not allow enemies of real change to succeed in derailing
the people's cause".

"I am shocked by the energy and the magnitude of the
efforts to undermine our agenda," Tsvangirai told reporters.

His
party dismissed the violence as "internal hygiene issues" and said its
critics were making up "nonexistent, imaginary and concocted power
struggles".

"Unfortunately, these disturbances have provided an
avenue for the traditional enemies of the people's project to transport and
relocate factionalism from its permanent home in Zanu-PF to the MDC," Nelson
Chamisa, the MDC spokesperson, said.

The real question is how deep
the differences run and how damaging they could be to the MDC. Tsvangirai's
position is already weak and, should the MDC become preoccupied with the
division, Zanu-PF is ready to take advantage of it.

Political analyst
John Makumbe said that although there might be differences on policy between
the two men, it was unlikely they would escalate into a full-blown power
struggle. Like Tsvangirai, he suggested Zanu-PF might be to
blame.

"Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF know very well that Morgan
Tsvangirai and Tendai Biti are the linchpins of the MDC, and so the best way
of destroying the MDC is to place these two against each other," he
said.

But the MDC has a record of factional violence. Since 2001 at least
six senior MDC MPs have been assaulted by youths loyal to rival leaders. The
violence escalated in 2005, the year the party split into two factions, the
MDC-T, which sided with Tsvangirai, and the MDC-M, which sided with Authur
Mutambara.

Biti has a reputation for being openly critical of party
leaders and he has often clashed with Tsvangirai at meetings of the party's
top national executive. But Biti's allies said he has no ambition to take
over as party leader.

One of his close associates said there is a
view among radical sections of the party that Tsvangirai tends to compromise
too much with Mugabe and that Biti's sharp criticism is important only to
"keep Tsvangirai focused".

Tsvangirai faces no challenge to his
leadership at the party's elective congress next year -- he quietly amended
the MDC constitution by removing the limits on terms of service. Under the
original constitution, Tsvangirai would have had to step down in
2011.

Reports that Tsvangirai is backing a bid by Ian Makone, his most
trusted aide, to take over from Biti as secretary general is also causing
friction between the two men. Also, in 2007, Tsvangirai dismissed the leader
of the MDC's Women's League and steamrolled it to accept Theresa Makone,
Ian's wife, as its new leader.

Bulawayo
residents threaten to take ZESA to court

Residents in Bulawayo have threatened to take the Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) to court over what they say is an unfair
billing system that charges them fixed amounts, whether electricity is
available or not. Residents in the high density suburbs are made to pay
US$27 while those in the low density areas pay US$40 in fixed charges per
month.

According to the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association
"whether or not, electricity is available during the 24 hour period is
inconsequential to the parastatal which demands that residents settle their
bills or face disconnection." The association said ZESA also did not have
electricity meters to measure consumption and bills were based on
'assumptions'.

Chronic power cuts have been a dominant feature of life in
Zimbabwe as ZESA struggles to meet demand. A lack of investment in power
generation infrastructure by the regime under ZANU PF has resulted in 19
hour blackouts for most homes. Additionally 'faults emanating from erratic
power cuts often take ages to get fixed,' the residents association
said.

Reports this week that ZESA plans to export 300 megawatts of
electricity to South Africa's power utility company Eskom for the duration
of the World Cup have not helped matters and have further infuriated
residents. While some argued the cash strapped parastatal needed to raise
money, one resident told us it boiled down to skewed priorities.

"We
are being asked to pay exorbitant ZESA bills and where is that money going?
Their priorities lie in lavish salaries, cars, office furniture for senior
and some junior management staff. Investment in power generation and other
critical issues are bottom of the list,' the resident who refused to be
named said.

2000
carats of diamonds smuggled out of Chiadzwa per day

At least 2000 carats of diamonds are being smuggled out of the
controversial Chiadzwa diamond claim every day, in direct contravention of
international trade standards.

This is according to the Mutare based
Centre for Research and Development (CRD), a diamonds watchdog that exposed
the abuses taking place at the government controlled diamond claim. The CRD
this week warned that large quantities of diamonds from the claim are
finding their way to local and foreign buyers, without certification from
the International diamond trade monitor, the Kimberley Process
(KP).

Zimbabwe last year escaped a widely supported ban from
international trade, that had been called for over abuses at Chiadzwa, where
the military's often brutal control in the name of the state is still
ongoing. But the Kimberley Process refused to ban the country, and instead
ordered mining officials to follow a set of 'guidelines' in an attempt to
bring the country back in line with international standards by June this
year.

This 'work plan' includes the demilitarisation of the diamond
fields, which has not happened, and rights groups are still reporting that
there is strict military control of Chiadzwa and the villagers there.
According to the guidelines there is also supposed to be an independent
monitor in place to oversee the sale of all stones from Chiadzwa, in an
effort to curb smuggling. That monitor, Abbey Chikane, has done a cursory
report on the situation at Chiadzwa since he was finally appointed in March.
But the CRD has this week stated that smuggling is ongoing, regardless, with
the prime suspects being employees at the government approved Canadile
mining firm.

"Security loopholes at Canadile's plant in Chiadzwa are
costing Zimbabweabout 2000 carats per day," the CRD said in a statement.
"Company employees have overtaken illegal panners and soldiers in
supplyingdiamonds to local and foreign buyers, who descend on Chiadzwa daily
insearch of the precious stones."

"The CRD observed that on average
60 buyers are descending on Chiadzwa to buy diamonds daily," the group said.
"The buyers gather at Mashukashuka, Muchena and Tenda business centres where
company employees and syndicates operated by soldiers sell their
diamonds."

The CRD went on to say that it has witnessed buyers descending
on the Hot Springs resort and Mutsago business area, where they intercept
Canadile employees who have smuggled diamonds. It's understood Canadile's
employment turnover has also skyrocketed, with numerous staff losing their
jobs for smuggling. Most recently, in January, two Canadile bosses, Komalin
Pakirisamy and V Naidoo, were arrested after they were allegedly caught with
63 uncertified, smuggled gems in their car.

Gabriel Shumba, from the
Zimbabwe Blood Diamonds Campaign, on Friday said it was not surprising that
smuggling was still a problem, but added it was "disappointing that the work
plan set out by the KP is clearly being contravened." Shumba said it is
unlikely that Zimbabwe's diamond trade standards will meet international
approval by June, when the KP deadline runs out. He explained that the KP
needs to take a "proactive approach" to force Zimbabwe to fall in
line.

"A report by the monitor is not enough and he must be more
proactive," Shumba said. "There must also be strict penalties against the
mining authorities for this continued contravention of the KP work
plan."

A Chinese mining firm meanwhile has become the latest recipient of
rights to mine the controversial diamond claim. The government has
reportedly awarded the rights to a Chinese company called Anjin, under
unclear circumstances.

The London based African Consolidated Resources
(ACR), is still the legal title-holders of the diamond claim, being
exploited by Canadile and Mbada Mining, the firms working in joint ventures
with the government's Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). ACR was forced
off the claim at gunpoint in 2006 and has been fighting a legal battle ever
since to resume operations there.

ACR's protracted legal fight
resulted in the arrest last week of an ACR executive Ian Harris, on charges
that his company corruptly obtained rights to the Chiadzwa diamonds. Harris
appeared in court, together with former Manicaland Mining Commissioner Isaac
Giles Ruswa and a secretary in the Mines Ministry Mairosi Matinyanye, before
a magistrate in Mutare on Tuesday. Harris was freed after he posted $1000
bail, while Ruswa and Matinyanye paid $500 each. They were remanded to 28
May.

Zimbabwe mining strike hits gold, not platinum

Saturday May 15, 2010
10:25:11 AM GMT

* Gold mines worst hit, could lose $8m this
month

* Platinum mines not affected

* Struggling miners also
affected by power cuts

By Nelson Banya

HARARE, May 14 (Reuters) -
Zimbabwe's gold producers could lose up to $8 million this month because of
a mineworkers' strike over pay, a top industry official said on Friday, as
the industrial action threatened the industry's fragile recovery.

The
25,000-member Associated Mineworkers' Union of Zimbabwe (AMWUZ) started a
strike on Wednesday for a monthly minimum wage of $496 from the current
average of $120.

The mining sector has overtaken agriculture as
Zimbabwe's main foreign currency earner, after President Robert Mugabe's
seizure of white-owned farms to resettle landless blacks triggered a sharp
decline in farming output.

The strike is a setback for mines, most of
which only recently re-opened after closing in 2008 because of
hyperinflation, a skewed exchange rate and frequent power cuts, officials
said.

"The impact is serious. As we speak, we are talking about 8,000
ounces, that's about $8 million," said Collen Gura, the chief executive of
Metallon Gold, Zimbabwe's biggest gold miner.

He added that labour
made up 60 percent of total production costs and that wage increases would
drive firms into deeper losses.

"Mines were closed for a long time and
are only now starting to find their feet. To my knowledge, there is no gold
mine currently turning in a profit," Gura said.

Gura said Metallon,
which accounts for over half of Zimbabwe's gold output from its five mines,
had been set back by the strike just when it expected to raise
production.

"We were ready to take off and raise our monthly production
from 3,800 ounces to 6,000 ounces, where we need to be to operate
profitably," he said.

"This (strike) is a huge drain on mines, most of
which are operating on borrowed funding."

ZIMPLATS, MIMOSA NOT
AFFECTED

AMWUZ president Tinago Ruzive told Reuters that Impala
Platinum's local unit Zimplats and Aquarius' Mimosa were not affected by the
strike.

"Zimplats and Mimosa gave their employees an increase ranging
from $240 to $250 for the lowest paid worker and because of that, their
workers are not on strike," Ruzive said.

"We have no problems with
individual mining houses, but with the Chamber of Mines, which is refusing
to negotiate. We had an award from an arbitrator, which the Chamber refused
to honour."

Zimplats and Mimosa officials were not immediately available
to comment.

Chamber of Mines official Doug Verden said efforts were
underway to resolve the strike, but declined to give details.

"There
is indeed a strike action, but I cannot comment much on that as we are
trying to deal with it. This, and power shortages, obviously hurt efforts to
improve production," Verden said.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said
the sector will grow by 40 percent in 2010, on the back of re-opening
mines.

At its peak Zimbabwe used to produce 2,400 kg of gold per month
but recorded a low of just over 3,000 kg for the whole year in 2008.

Freedom of expression ... Actors play a satirical election
scene at the Harare International Festival of the Arts 2008. Photograph: Howard
Burditt/Reuters

Zimbabwe may be recovering
from acute political and economic crisis, but the Harare International Festival
of the Arts proves that, against all the odds, the country's culture scene is
thriving.

"In some small ways, HIFA represents what Zimbabwe could be," says artistic
director Manuel Bagorro, who founded the festival in the late 1990s. "It brings
people together from all sectors of society to celebrate something positive and
optimistic about our country." This year's festival ran from 27 April to 2 May
2010, and united Zimbabwean artists with international performers to celebrate
the importance of the arts in promoting change, and challenging oppression of
all kinds.

Bagorro, a Zimbabwean classical pianist, left Zimbabwe in 1983 to pursue a
music career abroad, partly because of what he describes as a sense of isolation
in his country. He returned to Zimbabwe during the optimism of the late 1990s,
and HIFA, a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, was the result.

"The festival offers an opportunity to recognise shared experience," says
Bagorro. "Audiences are able to acknowledge that life may be hard, but we can
still express our sadness, laughter, fears and hopes."

HIFA hosted back-to-back events at multiple locations across Harare;
crucially, it aimed to be accessible to all, running outreach programmes for
street children and staging free events for people who could not afford tickets.
It showcased local music, theatre, dance, craft and visual arts, while offering
local artists opportunities to network and collaborate.

Musician Hope
Masike performing at Harare International Festival of the Arts 2010

One Zimbabwean artist taking the stage this year was acclaimed Mbira (thumb
piano) player and singer Hope Masike. Her stunning performance with Afro-fusion
band Kakuwe, full of infectious optimism and energy and carried along by the
bubbling rhythm of the marimba, had the audience dancing in the aisles. Many
people sang enthusiastically along in Shona - many of the songs, Masike says,
are about healing social problems.

A local festivalgoer, 24-year-old Dimitri Kwenda, was impressed. "HIFA is
about relating to the reality of people's lives," he told me. For Kwenda, the
festival is important because it facilitates freedom of expression and opens up
discussions between artists and audience, initiating formal and informal
post-performance debates within the relatively unfettered arena of the
festival.

Sometimes this included surprising acts of political bravery. One major
highlight of this year's festival was Anders Lustgarten's play You Cannot Escape
Our Love, which transferred from London's Finborough theatre. The play,
originally entitled Black Jesus, was altered at the last minute because the cast
were anxious about conveying a potentially didactic message about Zimbabwe to Zimbabweans. As
a result, this story about transitional justice in Zimbabwe became a kind of
play-within-a-play: a story that not only blurred the lines between victims and
perpetrators of political violence, but also prompted debates about artistic
responsibility and ownership.

It hasn't always been easy obtaining official permission for controversial
work, according to Bagorro: all scripts still need to be passed by the censors.
And many artists have been fearful about coming to Zimbabwe, because of negative
international press and fears about safety - not to mention doubts about whether
it is appropriate to perform in a country experiencing apparently intractable
political problems. "Many artists have cancelled over the years," says Bagorro.
"But we try to reassure artists with our credentials as an independent, civic
organisation that has achieved important development objectives for artists and
the Zimbabwean community at large."

Organising an arts festival in a country experiencing hyperinflation and with
a currency in freefall provided another set of challenges. Budgeting and
risk-evaluation proved futile, Bagorro says, and power cuts, water and fuel
shortages also caused problems.

But, more optimistically, this year audience figures were up - jumping by
5,000 to just under 60,000 people in attendance.

And HIFA also benefitted from an impressive degree of backing from inside
Zimbabwe as well as out, with global corporations, embassies and arts
organisations providing support and funding.

Significantly, too, the festival has injected funds into Zimbabwe's
long-suffering travel industry, attempting to reconnect the country once again
with the outside world. Richard and Rosie Tillett, a couple from Devon who I
bumped into at the festival site, had timed their visit to coincide with HIFA.
"We had anxieties about visiting Zimbabwe because of what we hear in the media,"
Rosie Tillett says. "But the festival overturned our expectations. We were glad
to see that audiences were racially mixed, with no apparent tensions or
segregation."

Her husband was similarly impressed: "The festival was exciting, exuberant,
multicultural, challenging and very much at odds with the idea of a nation in
decline."

Zuma’s approach to Zimbabwe is both disingenuous and
misleading

STATEMENT BY ATHOL TROLLIP MP

DA PARLIAMENTARY LEADER

14 MAY
2010

Two months on and the “package of measures” President
Zuma declared had been negotiated to resolve the Zimbabwean political
deadlock remains stillborn. In his Budget Speech this week, the President
noted the establishment of human rights, electoral and media commissions in
Zimbabwe, and the acquittal of the MDC’s Treasurer, Roy Bennett, on
controversial charges, as evidence of progress. However with the country
facing rampant violence and continued social and economic strife, and news
that Bennett’s reprieve is being challenged by the state, Zimbabwe’s fate
appears increasingly uncertain.

South Africa has the political
and economic muscle to effect real progress in Zimbabwe. The failure of
successive ANC leaders to make substantial headway in the Zimbabwean
political negotiations, and President Zuma’s decision not to eschew the
failed approach of his predecessor, is representative of a chronic lack of
political will on behalf of the ruling party. For actual progress, the
kind necessary to reinvigorate Zimbabwe politically, socially and
economically, President Robert Mugabe must be barred from participating in
the negotiations progress.

Instead of misleading the South
African public with regards to the political situation in Zimbabwe,
President Zuma needs to use his position as SADC-appointed facilitator and
leader of Zimbabwe’s most critical ally to finally confront the reality that
those before him have failed to acknowledge. As long as its architect
remains at the helm, the Zimbabwean crisis faces no chance of
resolution.

A
letter from the diaspora

Dear Friends.Like many
Zimbabweans in the UK diaspora, I suspect, I found myself smiling ironically
as events unfolded here this last week; there was an almost uncanny
resemblance to Zimbabwe's recent election experience! Comedians had a field
day with jokes about the Mugabe comparison and how the Zimbabwean dictator
could teach the Brits a thing or two about how to rig elections and stay in
power. Having lost the election pretty conclusively, Labour Prime Minister
Gordon Brown appeared at first to be holed up in No 10 refusing to accept
defeat. 'He has resorted to Mugabe's political philosophy' ranted one
Conservative right-winger. The problem was that the Conservatives had not
gained the clear majority required to govern. It all sounded very familiar
to Zimbabweans who remember only too well how Mugabe dealt with the problem
back in 2008. He simply got George Chiweshe his Electoral Commission
Chairman (the very same man he now intends to reward by making him Judge
President of the High Court!) to delay the publication of the results for
five weeks. Then, surprise, surprise, the MDC's victory had miraculously
metamorphosed into an insufficient number of seats to give them a majority.
Out of this blatant vote rigging sprang the so-called coalition government,
nothing to do with the will of the people or the 'national interest' -
simply a way of maintaining the status quo.Mugabe has said that he 'can
do business' with the Tories, perhaps he thinks he can persuade them to lift
sanctions? Mugabe, as always is living in the past, It is a very different
Conservative party that is now in power; it is a coalition with the Liberal
Democrats, a compromise, requiring trust and give and take on both sides,
all in the national interest we are told. The crisis that had rocked the UK
for five days was over. With absolute dignity and an honest admission of his
own failure to win the election for his Labour Party, Gordon Brown resigned
and quit No 10.Within hours David Cameron was the new Prime Minister of a
coalition government. On the face of it, the 'national interest' had taken
precedence over narrow party politics and the wishes of power-hungry
politicians with inflated egos.

And as we were still recovering from
these extraordinary events in the UK came the equally extraordinary news
from home of Roy Bennett's acquittal on the capital charge of treason and
attempting to overthrow Robert Mugabe. Interviewed by the British Guardian
newspaper two days earlier Bennett had said he would not stand in the way of
"restoration and reconstruction in Zimbabwe. A single post should not stop
the process moving forward" he said, "So if it means that I should step
aside completely and not be involved and that would move the process forward
towards a fresh election and towards democracy, I would be the first to
endorse that." Whether it was Bennett's conciliatory statement in the
Guardian which led to some kind of 'deal' or a genuinely impartial judgement
by Judge Bunhu we shall never know. The fact is that the State in the person
of the incompetent Attorney General, Johannes Tomana had totally failed to
prove their case against Bennett. In itself, that would not necessarily have
meant an inevitable acquittal in Zimbabwean courts where Mugabe's judges
have time and again failed to demonstrate their commitment to the rule of
law in favour of political considerations. Whatever the case, Roy Bennett
was momentarily a free man, all charges against him dropped. Then, on
Wednesday 12.05.10 came the news that the State would appeal against the
acquittal and in a further sinister development we heard that Bennett's
passport - and his bail money - has mysteriously disappeared. One might
expect Pachedu has suffered enough at the hands of his political enemies but
Zanu PF's malice against him knows no bounds. Nelson Chamisa's comment as
the trial ended that Bennett was an 'angel' was admittedly somewhat over the
top but it was enough to inspire Jonathan Moyo into print. Writing in the
Herald - where else - Moyo was at his poisonous best, describing Bennett as
"an active member of the murderous Rhodesian Infantry during the Liberation
Struggle. Just like former Nazis in Israel, former members of the murderous
Rhodesian army are not angels but devils with no place in any government in
a free Zimbabwe." It is certainly news to me - and to Israel I should think
- that 'former Nazis' are hiding out there but then Jonathan Moyo was never
one to deal in hard facts; propaganda and lies are his natural medium. We
all know that Moyo is only saying what his master wants to hear. Mugabe's
hatred of the popular and much-loved Pachedu is well-known. Sadly, Roy
Bennett was correct when he said after his acquittal that "Zanu PF are still
out to get me." It is glaringly obvious that the State's decision to appeal
against Judge Bunhu's acquittal verdict is the result of pressure from the
Zanu PF hawks. Reports that Tomana consulted Patrick Chinamasa, the Minister
of Justice, suggest that Tomana's belated decision to appeal has more to do
with Chinamasa's desire for personal vengeance against his old enemy than a
concern for justice and the rule of law.

It was the Kenyan Prime
Minister a couple of week ago who commented that coalition governments do
not work in Africa. The fact is that coalitions cannot work anywhere, be it
the UK or Zimbabwe, without trust between the parties and a shared
commitment to the national interest. "Zimbabwe's political crisis is over"
declared Morgan Tsvangirai this week. "The country is safe for
investors."

Facts on the ground suggest otherwise. Roy Bennett's
continuing persecution in the courts is just one example. Innocent villagers
are also suffering at the hands of a vengeful regime that will brook no
opposition to Mugabe's Kariba Draft which would ensure his continued stay in
power. 'Operation Hapana Anotaura' - No one speaks - is hardly an indication
that the 'crisis is over' - much as the so-called coalition government would
have us believe in their desperate desire to court foreign
investors.Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH.